Grevillea 'Deua Flame'

Grevillea 'Deua Flame' (Grevillea rhyolitica 'Deua Flame') is the native shrub to plant if you want honeyeaters in the garden every month of the year. It makes a low spreading mound about 1.2m tall and 1.8m wide, broader than it is high, carrying bright red pendant flowers almost continuously. It comes from the Deua country of southern New South Wales, which is why it is far more frost hardy than most grevilleas.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers nearly all year. Red pendant flowers appear in every season, with the heaviest flush through the cooler months when little else is out.
• Frost hardy, unusually. Most grevilleas resent cold. This one comes from high, cold country and takes frost in its stride.
• Honeyeaters find it immediately. Nectar rich flowers at a low, accessible height bring small birds into the garden and keep them there.
• Low, spreading and undemanding. At 1.2m by 1.8m it covers ground without blocking a view, and it is drought tolerant once established and content in poor soil.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1.2m apart for a dense mass planting. The spreading habit means plants knit into continuous cover within two seasons and suppress weeds without a groundcover underneath.

Borders and small gardens. As a front of bed shrub it holds a low line with year round colour. Width matters more than height here, so allow the full 1.8m rather than crowding it against a path.

Feature planting. A single plant on a slope or beside steps shows the flowers off well, since they hang downward and are best viewed from below.

Growing Grevillea 'Deua Flame' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering; light shade is tolerated with fewer flowers and a looser shape. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and subtropical gardens, and unlike most grevilleas it handles frost, so cold southern and tableland gardens are well within range.

Soil. Free draining is the requirement, and poor soil is an advantage rather than a problem. Do not enrich the bed. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound with coarse material through the backfill.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry weather. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser or nothing at all, because standard garden fertilisers hold enough phosphorus to damage grevillea roots.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after each main flush to keep the plant dense and bring on the next round of flowers. Never cut into bare old wood. A light trim every year beats a hard cut later.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tubestock and in 140mm pots sold by the pack of ten. Tubes are the standard way natives are bought, because grevilleas establish faster from small stock than from large. The 140mm pack is the practical option for a mass planting.

Plants travel packed upright and settle quickly. Expect some flowering within the first year and full cover in two to three seasons at 1.2m spacing. Water in well and do not feed at planting. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, with our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the full grevillea care guide for pruning and feeding detail.
• Browse the complete grevillea range to compare sizes and flower colours.
• See more bird attracting plants to build a nectar garden.
• Find companions among native plants with red flowers.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for mass planting?

1.2m apart. Plants spread to about 1.8m wide, so at that spacing they overlap into continuous cover without crowding each other into a mound with a dead centre.

Will it survive frost?

Yes, better than almost any other grevillea. Established plants handle frost without protection, though first year plants appreciate a sheltered position if your winters are severe.

What fertiliser should I use?

A low phosphorus native fertiliser applied lightly in early spring, or nothing at all. Standard garden and lawn fertilisers contain enough phosphorus to damage the roots of a grevillea.